


When All Else Fails

by kiki_miserychic



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Episode: s02e14 Grace Under Pressure, Gen, Implied Slash, Slash Goggles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-03
Updated: 2014-01-03
Packaged: 2018-01-07 04:56:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1115770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiki_miserychic/pseuds/kiki_miserychic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When asked if you want to go to the mainland, the answer is not avoidance, unless you’re Rodney.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When All Else Fails

"You ready, McKay?" John called from outside the lab doors, as if yelling through walls were perfectly normal and polite. Dr. Rodney McKay wasn't the best person in the world to deem what behaviors were socially appropriate, but he knew what annoyed him.

"What are you going on about?" Rodney asked the second Atlantis opened the door to a fully geared Lt. Colonel John Sheppard.

"The team's going to the mainland today. Beckett thought it would good for Teyla to commune with her people after . . . " Sheppard didn't know how to put it, so he let himself trail off in hopes that Rodney understood. No one talked about that thing that had happened at the bottom of the ocean, and life went on like it never had.

"Oh." Rodney made an approving noise, but continued typing away at the keyboard in front of him. Numbers and symbols flitted across the screen in various blues and greens.

"Everything’s been happening so fast lately, but Weir thought a card would be tacky and wouldn’t relate culturally, so she agreed with Beckett that the whole team should go with Teyla to support her." John explained, hoping that Rodney would get the not so subtle hint.

"Hmm. I don't go to the mainland often and I doubt you haven't noticed my ineptitude for dealing with other people's emotions." Rodney conceded, making it his turn to hope John had understood his meaning.

"I know that, but think about Teyla. Doesn't she need us to be there for her right now?" John asked, not expecting an answer. He moved behind the Government-Issue laptop that Rodney refused to look away from.

"I saw her this morning at breakfast. I smiled and gave her a half hug thing. That's a lot from me, Colonel." Rodney explained, his hands left the keys to flail about the air rather comically. John gave up on trying to initiate eye contact with McKay, who still kept his eyes on the screen of the laptop.

"What makes you think that was enough?" John asked sounding surprised, and left the lab before Rodney had a chance to register the exit.

Zelenka stared at Rodney with a look of ashamed contempt. Rodney didn't want to think about how such a look could convey both emotions so fully.

"What?" Rodney snapped when he couldn't take the accusatory gaze any longer, which wasn't more than a few seconds. The rest of the scientists were too involved in their own work or were used to Rodney's outburst, so no one even blinked at raised voices in the lab.

"You should have gone," Zelenka said in a sort of resigned sigh. None of his attention was focused on the computer before him.

"Why? I have so much to do considering I save the city on a weekly basis and keep her running smoothly. I don't have time to traipse about the planet doing ‘Trust and Release’ exercises,” Rodney defended himself.

"'Trust and Release?'" Zelenka repeated questioningly.

"Yes. It's a stupid team building exercise where a person stands in front of someone until they feel safe enough to fall back and be caught. It's stupid and pointless." Rodney explained, too exasperated to care that he’d called it stupid twice. "They made us do it in Russia," he added as an after thought.

"And you never fell back?"

"No, I did, but no one caught me."

"Too bad, Rodney." Zelenka seemed genuinely mournful before he bursted out with, "now go to the mainland."

"Why? Teyla doesn't need me. It's not like we're family. Besides, Ronan and Sheppard can take care of it." Rodney waved the notion off with a flick of his wrist, the other pounding the letters of the keyboard harshly.

“Maybe Teyla is not only one who needs support?” Zelenka theorized. He turned back to his station, but watched Rodney out of the corner of one eye.

“She’s the only one who recently lost the last member of her family.” Rodney stated the facts, not understanding Zelenka’s intended meaning. There was a lot of that happening.

“Colonel spent half of year cut off from Atlantis.”

“It was only a few hours,” Rodney countered. He understood the principles of time dilation as well as or better than the next guy with a couple doctorates and a few Ph.D.s. He had walked the halls, sternly giving orders and rebuking those who couldn’t grasp the concept of a week being a lifetime. Yet there he was, having offered up the same excuse that a layperson would.

“Not to him.”

“He’s handling it fine, like he does everything else. Nothing fazes him.”

“Colonel is quieter these days.”

“No, he isn’t. If anything, he talks more.” Rodney thought maybe Zelenka was imagining things and considered sending him to see Beckett. Or Heightmeyer.

“Silence between words, Rodney. How would you feel separated from Atlantis, thinking no one coming for you?” Zelenka put on his all-knowing-and-insightful face before he continued. “Go to mainland, yell at scientists twice as much when you return.”

“I’m not saying you’re right, but I’ve been meaning to poke around the mainland to see if there are any new analogous energy signatures.” Rodney lied as he closed down his programs and logged off the system for the time being.

“Is that so?” As much as Zelenka wanted Rodney to go, he wasn’t going to be taken for stupid in the process.

“Yes. Actually, I think you should see Beckett. Atlantis might have gotten pissy about you messing with her systems and sprayed you with a hallucinogenic gas, possibly poisonous.” Rodney was far too cheerful about his conclusion.

“They’re probably still in Jumper Bay,” Zelenka offered, ignoring the recommendation.

“Right, right, I’ll radio ahead for them to wait while I pack and gear up. I’ll need my equipment for the mission.” Rodney was keeping up with his charade, but Zelenka wasn’t going to let him off that easily. 

“Whatever you say as long as you take Colonel with you.” Zelenka watched as Rodney gathered his laptop and a few other things together in his overflowing arms.

“Of course I will. Who knows what kinds of dangerous things there are out there? Sheppard can come along to kill them.” With that Rodney was out the door. He was so transparent at times. How the American government thought he could keep secrets, Zelenka would never know.

Behind him the lab released the collective breath they were holding. He shook his head and smiled at the rest of them. It was his lab for the rest of the day. Or until Rodney returned complaining about bugs, allergies, or those parasitic children.


End file.
